Page:Eight Friends of the Great - WP Courtney.djvu/37



Rh company and in entertaining his friends. His name first appears in connection with Dr. Johnson in 1776. A distinguished company of men, all described with the single exception of Sir William Forbes, as "friends and acquaintances of Dr. Goldsmith" met at dinner at the house of Sir Joshua Reynolds. The Latin epitaph which Johnson had written for poor Goldsmith was the subject of their conversation. General regret was expressed that it was in Latin and some expressions in it were said to be "not delineated with all the exactness" which the author was capable of expressing. As no one dared to appear as the leader of the opposition, the remonstrance was drawn up as is well-known in the form of a round-robin and among the signatures was that of P. Metcalfe, placed between those of R. B. Sheridan and E. Gibbon. On one or two of the names such as Joseph Warton and Edmund Burke, the doctor made a severe comment. But that of Metcalfe passed without observation. At that date he was not prominent enough in Johnson's estimate for a growl.

Johnson and the Thrales were at Brighton in the autumn of 1782 and much with Metcalfe, who had taken, says Miss Burney "an unaccountable dislike to Mrs. Thrale, to whom he never speaks." He declared "aloud and around his aversion to literary ladies" but as he was dry and Fanny was shy "very little has passed between us though he showed a keen desire to converse with me." Fanny ronounced him "a shrewd, sensible, keen and very clever man." Johnson was pleased, to use the words of Boswell, with Metcalfe's "excellent table and animated conversation." Mutual civilities passed between them. One offered the use of his carriage whenever the other liked. The other replied in courtier-like phrase that he had no desire to use it "except when he can have the pleasure of Mr. Metcalfe's company." Metcalfe often took Johnson out for an airing, indeed he was